What will it cost to custom make or alter your Bridal Gown? … And other useful information.

Bridal Gowns
What will it cost to custom make or alter your Bridal Gown?

… And other useful information.
The Bridal Gown

This is intended to give brides an idea of what it will cost to alter or custom make your bridal Gown. Each Tailor/Seamstress sets their own pricing according to their experience and the complexity of the alterations. We receive many inquiries requesting pricing on custom made wedding gowns and alterations to wedding gowns. It is not possible to set a price on custom wedding gowns without first having a consultation and it is equally difficult to estimate a price for alterations without seeing the gown and the bride in the gown. Pictures are helpful to a degree, but there are so many factors to consider that we need to see the body and the dress before we can provide a meaningful estimate. The same dress on different body shapes will result in different alterations/designs and costs and the way the dress is constructed may restrict what can be done to the dress and therefore may alter the cost considerably. None of this can be determined from pictures or a verbal description.

Weddings are expensive. The purchase of the wedding gown and alterations or having your wedding gown custom made are high on the list of items a bride should consider when determining her budget.

Custom Made/Designed Wedding Gowns

We do offer custom made Wedding Gowns. Our Wedding Gowns are designed to the Brides specifications and individual measurements. The cost of a one of a kind custom wedding gown is determined by the final design. This provides the bride with the wedding gown of her dreams which is also a custom one of a kind garment. Our custom Wedding Gown prices start at $250 on top of the materials and beading which are supplied by the bride. In many cases this option can turn out to be less costly than purchasing a gown with its associated required alterations.

Custom Wedding Gown designs can be derived in multiple ways:

Ø Wedding Dress Patterns

o We can make the dress exactly to the pattern or we can make modifications to the gown to give you that custom design

Ø Pictures or drawings

o Again, we can modify for that custom one of a kind look

Ø Our experts can work with you to design your dream wedding gown

Ø Best of all – NO alteration costs since the dress will be custom made just for you
Purchasing your Bridal Gown

Purchasing your gown from a local salon is a great way to view and sample the many styles of wedding gowns available. You will be able to try on various types and styles which will help you determine the best complement to your body type. You can find the perfect dress and you will already know how it will look. In many cases you will still need to order the dress since most salons only carry a few samples. Do plan on shopping for your dress many months in advance as some stores require 1-3 months for your dress to be delivered and then additional time for any alterations that may be needed. I know that many bridal stores advise the bride to budget at least $150-$300 for gown alterations (not including pressing and steaming). This is a fairly common estimate, but the actual cost of the alterations can be even more or less. Some shops order the gown size based on your largest body measurement and this can result in the gown being too big in other areas which can then increase the cost of alterations.

Purchasing your Wedding Gown from an online merchant is an increasingly popular option these days. There are a great variety of online stores and in many cases you can save considerably by purchasing online. Here are a few items that should be considered when ordering online: Be conscience of your body type, you may want to do a bit of local shopping first to see which styles look best on your body type. Many online stores request you send them your measurements. Many brides assume that this means that the wedding dress will be made custom to her measurements but in many cases this is not a correct assumption as the measurements may be strictly in order to determine the size of the dress that will be ordered. The standard practice is to order the dress based on the largest measurement so in other words if you are normally a size 4 on top and a size 8 in pants you may receive a size 8 dress. This will require major alterations since part of the dress is several sizes too large. So, before ordering make sure to ask how they determine the Gown size and if the dress will be customized to your measurements or a more off the rack type.
So what do bridal alterations cost?

Most gowns need a hem. Pricing usually starts at $60 but it can easily go up with the type of hem needed. Types of hems can vary greatly, at-the-waist, or at-the-bottom, the number of layers, type of fabric, and type of bottom finishing, bottom decorations, beading and width. Some gowns need crinoline slips that also need hemming. A hem alone can sometimes exceed $200 but this is the exception not the rule. Other alteration needs in the bodice area can also raise the alteration cost. Lace, beading and boning that has to be removed to accomplish the adjustment must be reapplied. This process can get expensive since most lace and beading work must be done by hand, is time consuming and requires a very high level of skill. Many gowns don't need anything this complicated or may require none at all. A good guess would be around $40 to $80 for the average gown. With replacement of beads and other decorations or boning, it can go over $100.

Sleeve length is another area to check for alteration needs. If the gown has no sleeves, or short ones, this is usually not a concern. It is not uncommon for the cost to adjust long sleeves with a lot of decoration or beading to be in the $50 to $100 range.

Bustles are another consideration. Bustles are great things to have. They hold the train up so you and your guests don't have to worry about stepping on it at your reception. There are several types of bustles that we offer based on the style of the gown and which type of bustle will look best. The number and bustle style required will be determined and discussed during the fitting. The cost for the 2 most common types of bustles is $20 for a standard outer bustle and $25 for a French Bustle. Discounts may apply when more than 3 bustles are required.

There are many other modifications brides may want altered or added to her gown. Depending on her figure and the construction of the gown, these could range from minor to major work. These considerations need to be discussed with the bride. We will consult with the bride and provide price estimates and multiple options and suggestions. The bride can then decide which is best for her, her gown and her budget.

Additional sevices that include cleaning and pressing and gown preservation post wedding.

Ø Cleaning and Pressing Standard Wedding Gown will run about $85, but some dresses may cost more or less

Ø Gown Preservation starts $110

We hope that this information will be useful in understanding how bridal gowns need to be factored into your wedding budget and avoid or minimize any wedding gown sticker shock. Having this information should aid in both planning and budgeting for an easier and less stressful wedding gown experience.

We would be happy to consult with you. Please feel free to contact us at alterationsinc@gmail.com or visit our website http://www.alterationsinc.com